BACKGROUND: Over 55 million people worldwide are living with dementia. The rate of cognitive decline increases with age, and loss of senses may be a contributing factor. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to analyze hearing, olfactory function, and color vision in patients with dementia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The sample comprised 40 patients with dementia and 37 cognitively normal controls aged 41-85 years. All participants underwent conventional pure-tone audiometry and a screening version of the Hearing Handicap Inventory for Adults, the Odorized Markers Test of olfactory function and the Ishihara color vision test. The effects of comorbidities and lifestyle factors were also assessed. RESULTS: Patients with dementia had significantly worse hearing at almost all frequencies tested and significantly greater olfactory impairment than cognitively normal controls. Color vision impairment was found in less than 8% of the sample, with no significant difference between the groups. Impairment of two senses (hearing and olfaction) was significantly more common in patients with dementia than in controls. CONCLUSION: Individuals with dementia were found to have sensory decline, namely hearing and olfactory impairment. Color vision was rarely impaired in the sample. Participants with dementia tended to have more multisensory impairments than controls.

• Klíčová slova
• Cognitive impairment, Color vision, Dementia, Hearing loss, Olfactory loss, Sensory impairment,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

The subjective and demanding nature of olfactory testing means that it is often neglected in clinic despite loss of smell leading to significant limitations in everyday life. The list of diseases associated with loss of olfaction far exceeds the field of otorhinolaryngology and can also be seen in neurodegenerative disorders. Knowledge of possible clinical testing is essential to determine a proper differential diagnosis for the loss of olfactory sense. Causes of olfactory impairment can be divided into either failure in transferring odour to the organ of perception or damage to the olfactory pathway structure itself. Examination should therefore include methods evaluating cross-sectional area and patency of the nasal cavity as well as subjective or objective assessment of olfactory function. In this report we summarize several articles, studies, and our own experiences to provide a comprehensive review of their current clinical usage including their benefits, limitations, and possible outcomes. We also discuss the mechanism of olfaction step by step to provide a full understanding of the possible errors depending on the localization in the pathway and the methods designed for their detection. We discuss the correlation of the microbiome in nasal polyposis and chronic rhinitis with olfactory impairment using objective olfactometry. The topic of objective olfactometry and the examination of olfactory event-related potentials (OERP) is commented upon in detail.

• Klíčová slova
• anosmia, hyposmia, objective olfactometry, odourants, olfactory event-related potentials, olfactory system, parosmia,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• přehledy MeSH

BACKGROUND: Changes in olfactory functions have been found in many neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders, including autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). The aim of the present study was to evaluate the relationship between olfactory functions (odor-detection thresholds, odor identification, and odor preference) and autism severity and sensory-related behavior in children and adolescents with ASD. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Our sample consisted of 35 high-functioning patients with ASD (mean age 10.8±3.6 years, 31 boys). Olfactory testing (threshold and identification) used the Sniffin' Sticks test. Odor pleasantness was assessed on a 5-point scale using the Identification part of the Sniffin' Sticks test. The severity of autistic psychopathology was measured using the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS). RESULTS: Using Spearman's correlation, we found no significant correlations between autism severity (as expressed by total CARS score) and odor-detection thresholds (R=0.144, P=0.409), odor identification (R=0.07, P=0.966), or odor pleasantness (R=-0.046, P=0.794). There was also no significant relationship between CARS item 9 ("Taste, smell, and touch response and use") and odor-detection thresholds (R=0.170, P=0.330), odor identification (R=0.282, P=0.100), or odor pleasantness (R=0.017, P=0.923). CONCLUSION: We did not find any significant relationship between the severity of autistic psychopathology and olfactory functions.

• Klíčová slova
• Sniffin’ Sticks, autism spectrum disorders, odor identification, odor pleasantness, odor threshold, psychopathology,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

The aim of our study was to examine odor detection thresholds and odor identification in autistic subjects. Thirty-five patients with Asperger's syndrome and high functioning autism (mean age 10.8 ± 3.6 years; 31 boys) were compared with 35 healthy control subjects (mean age 10.4 ± 2.4 years; 28 boys). There were no significant differences between groups with regard to mean age (p = 0.598) and gender proportion (p = 0.324). Olfactory testing used the Sniffin' Sticks test (threshold and identification parts only). Participants with Asperger's syndrome and high functioning autism, in comparison with healthy controls, were significantly impaired relative to odor detection thresholds (6.3 ± 3.1 vs. 7.9 ± 2.0; p = 0.025). Autistic participants were significantly better in correctly identifying the odor of an orange (94 vs. 63%; p < 0.05) and significantly worse at correctly identifying the odor of cloves (40 vs. 74%; p < 0.05). With regard to identification of fourteen other substances, there were no significant differences. There was no significant difference between autistic and control subjects on the total score of olfactory identification (p = 0.799). Odor identification ability (as expressed by this total score) correlated significantly with age in the control group (p = 0.049), but not in the autism group (p = 0.103). We found impaired odor detection and almost normal odor identification in children with autism. Implications for further research are discussed.

• MeSH
• Aspergerův syndrom * komplikace   patofyziologie   MeSH
• autistická porucha * komplikace   patofyziologie   MeSH
• čich * MeSH
• čichová percepce * MeSH
• dítě MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladiství MeSH
• odoranty MeSH
• poruchy čichu * etiologie   patofyziologie   MeSH
• psychiatrické posuzovací škály MeSH
• senzorické prahy MeSH
• stupeň závažnosti nemoci MeSH
• věkové faktory MeSH
• výběr pacientů MeSH
• výzkumný projekt MeSH
• Check Tag
• dítě MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladiství MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH